mohd farhaan shah The Star 20 Nov 17;
KLUANG: The Johor Department of Environment (DOE) has suspended the licence of a processing factory for three months after it caused ammonia pollution at the Sembrong Barat dam here.
State Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the notice was given after the factory failed to manage its waste well.
Besides suspending the factory licence, the Johor Water Regulatory Body (Bakaj) will be imposing a maximum compound of RM250,000 on the factory, he added.
Ayub said this after conducting a surprise spot check together with various enforcement agencies at Batu 3 along Jalan Batu Pahat here yesterday.
Ayub also said the state government would take stern action against any quarter found to cause pollution in Johor rivers.
Meanwhile, SAJ Ranhil production and distribution operation manager Elias Ismail said about 200,000 users have had their water supply restored in stages since yesterday morning.
This is the fourth time and the second within a span of a month that water in Johor has been affected by ammonia pollution.
Earlier this month, the state government also ordered a poultry farm and a chicken manure processing factory in Layang-Layang to stop operation after high ammonia content was found in Sungai Johor that caused a shutdown of water supply to some 1.8 million consumers.
Johor Govt to take stern action against river polluters
nelson benjamin The Star 21 Nov 17;
JOHOR BARU: The state government plans to come down hard on polluters in an effort to safeguard the state's water resources.
Johor Public Works and Rural and Regional Development committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said that the state would continue to impose heavy fines on those who pollute.
"We have already started using our relevant laws and enactments to impose fines of up to RM300,000 on those who pollute," he said referring to two major ammonia pollution cases in Sg Johor and Kluang.
One involved a fertiliser processing company and the other an oil palm company.
He was speaking at the closing of SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd awareness programme involving secondary schools statewide.
Some 18,000 students have benefited from the programme which has been around since 2010.
This year, some 4,400 students were selected from 33 schools statewide.
Among the activities carried out include water stories, tips to conserve water, ways to test raw water, awareness talks, workshops and others.
No mercy for polluters
nelson benjamin The Star 23 Nov 17;
ISKANDAR PUTERI: The state government plans to come down hard on polluters in an effort to safeguard the state’s water resources.
Johor public works and rural and regional development committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the state would continue to impose heavy fines on those who pollute the rivers.
“We have already started using relevant laws and enactments to impose fines of up to RM300,000 on those who pollute,” he said, referring to two major ammonia pollution cases in Sg Johor and Kluang.
One involved a fertiliser processing company and the other an oil palm company.
He said this at the closing of SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd awareness programme involving secondary schools statewide.
SAJ Ranhill chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Faizal Abd Rahman expressed hope that the government’s recent drastic move to impose hefty fines would create awareness among polluters to refrain from the act.
He also said there were no major water disruptions this year compared with last year.
“Those with retention ponds need to ensure effluents are properly treated as this can be washed into the rivers during rainy season,” he said.
He urged the public to be alert and not throw rubbish into the waterways as this can also lead to pollution.
Meanwhile, UTM Water Research Alliance dean of research Prof Dr Zulkifli Yusof stressed on the importance of protecting Sg Johor as an important fresh water resource to both Malaysia and Singapore, especially with its water quality slowly deteriorating.
The river, stretching 2,636sq km, can easily be polluted by sludge, agricultural waste, mining and sand extraction.
Prof Zulkifli said it was timely for the state government to look into having an integrated river basin management for Sg Johor.
He also suggested the government give more clout to the State Water Regulatory Body, including upgrading them to an authority with more manpower.
Meanwhile, on the SAJ Ranhill school event, some 18,000 students have benefited from the programme which has been held since 2010.
This year some 4,400 students were selected from 33 schools statewide.
Among the activities carried out include water stories, tips to conserve water, ways to test raw water, awareness talks, workshops and others.
